Caprese Eggplant Stacks and Little Eggplant Pizzas

A friend of mine at work is trying to eat vegetarian for a month.  She has inspired me to cook up some of the vegetarian recipes I have been wanting to try.  So today I tried two fabulous eggplant recipes.  I served them with a nice spinach salad and some nice toasted bread.  This eggplant has a perfect texture and great taste. 

Caprese Eggplant Stacks

1/2 eggplant
1 tomato
fresh mozzarella
fresh basil leave
1 egg
1 c. pankco crumbs
Slice eggplant into 1/2" slices.  Set out on paper towels.  Salt slices and allow to sit for 30 minutes.  This will draw out most of the moisture from the eggplant.  Beat up the egg.  Put pankco crumbs into a bowl.   Dip slices into egg and then into crumbs.  Grill on a grill pan, browning on both sides.
Place on a sprayed (with Pam) cookie sheet.  Top each slice with a slice of mozzarella cheese.
Broil until cheese melts.  Top with fresh chopped basil.

Caprese Eggplant Pizzas

1/2 eggplant
1/2 c. pizza sauce
fresh mozzarella
1/2 c. parmesan cheese
1/2 c. chopped tomato
fresh chpped basil

Slice eggplant into 1/2" slices.  Set out on paper towels.  Salt slices and allow to sit for 30 minutes.  This will draw out most of the moisture from the eggplant.   Grill eggplant on a grill pan for 5 minutes on each side.  Top with about 1 T. pizza sauce on each slice.  Top with a slice of mozzarella cheese, about 1 T. Parmesan cheese and some chopped tomato. Plaace on sprayed (with Pam) cookie sheet.  Broil until chesse melts.  Top with fresh chopped basil.

Pan-Seared Chicken and Orecchiette Primavera

This is a nice and simple spring vegetable dish that I adapted from the HelloFresh website.  This recipe serves two but could be easily doubled.  The original recipe calls for orecchiette, but you could use whatever pasta you have around:  tortellini, capatelli, macaroni, etc.  The sauce is light with just a hint of lemon.

2 chicken breasts, chopped
1 bell pepper, sliced
1 bunch of asparagus, cut into pieces
1 clove garlic, minced
2 T. lemon zest
2 T. chopped parsley
1/4 c. sour cream
1/4 c. Parmesan cheese, grated
1-2 c. pasta, uncooked

In a large saucpan, heat a little olive oil and add the pepper, garlic and chicken.  Cook over medium heat until the chicken is well done. 
In another pan bring salted water to a boil and add the asparagus and pasta.  Take the asparagus out after 5 minutes and add to the chicken mixture.  Continue cooking the pasta for a total of 10-12 minutes.  Drain the pasta, reserving 1/4 c. pasta water.  Add sour cream, lemon zest, parsley and a little of the water to the chicken mixture.  Stir well.  Mix in the drained pasta.  Serve with an additional sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.

Pesto Chicken and Greek Salad Flatbreads

I have a favorite restaurant in the nearby town of Coupeville.  It is called Chao and has the most amazingly delicious wood-fired pizzas.  But what I really love are their salad flatbreads.  Inspired by a recent visit, tonight's dinner-and tomorrow's lunch will be salad flatbreads.  I decided to make two varieties:  Greek Salad Flatbread and Chicken Pesto Flatbread.

Here is the recipe for the flatbreads:  This recipe comes direct from the blog "Savour the Senses."

• 1 package (2¼ teaspoons) active dry yeast
• 1½ cups warm water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 3½ to 3¾ cups all-purpose flour

1. In a large bowl, combine the yeast, water, 1 tsp salt and 1 tbsp olive oil and let stand until bubbles begin to form (about 5 minutes).
2. Gradually in 3½ cups flour until the dough has formed.
3. Knead the dough on a floured surface until it no longer feels sticky, adding additional flour if necessary (about 5-10 minutes).
4. Place the ball of dough into a bowl with 1 tbsp olive oil, coat with oil, cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in size (about 35-45 minutes).
5. Punch the dough to flatten, cut into four pieces, cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 10 minutes. Preheat the oven to 450F.
6. Gently stretch each flatbread into a 13x7 inch oval and place on a greased baking sheet.
7.  
8. Sprinkle with a little olive oil.
9. Bake at 450F until golden around the edges (about 10 minutes). 

Pesto Chicken
for 2 flatbreads:
1 c. cooked chicken
3-4 T. pesto
2/3 c. parmesan cheese
mixed greens
chopped grape tomatoes
Put chicken and cheese on top and return to oven at 400 just until cheese melts.  Then put remaining salad ingredients on top.

Greek Salad
for 2 flatbreads:
1 c. cooked chicken
1/2 c. chopped kalamata olives
1/2 c, chopped tomato
1 c. crumbled feta
2 c. chopped spinach
 Put Chicken, olives, tomatoes and feta on flatbread.  Return to oven at 400 just until cheese softens.
Then put fresh spinach on top.  YOu can also add a little tzatziki sauce on top if desired.

Easter Basket Cookies

This next post is a nice springtime treat to make at Easter.  I always made these when my children were young and they enjoyed helping with the decorating.  I originally made these in the 4th grade for a cookie contest and won a ribbon with a penny on it!  The original recipe is called "Candy Cookies."  They are a cook on the stove no bake cookie.

For the cookies:
     6 T.  cocoa
     1/2 c. butter
     2 c. sugar
    1/2 c. milk
     3 c. oatmeal
    1/2 c. peanut butter
    1/2 c. coconut

Put first 4 ingredients in a saucepan.  Mix well.  Bring to a boil over medium heat.  Boil for 2 minutes.  Mix in remaining ingredients.  Drop large spoonfuls onto a piece of waxed paper.  Press an indention in the middle for the "nest."  Let cool in the refrigerator.

For the nest:  Fill each nest with :  coconut for grass. chocolate eggs/jellybeans/peeps.